How To Academy Podcast Marina Warner - Reimagining Sanctuary for a World in Crisis
Sep 5, 2025
Marina Warner, an award-winning novelist and historian, dives into the ancient concept of sanctuary and its relevance today. She explores how historical narratives can foster understanding, particularly in the context of displacement and migration. Warner emphasizes the modern imperative of hospitality rooted in the Greek idea of Xenia, advocating for compassion amidst global challenges. Through storytelling, she illustrates the powerful connection between narratives and community, encouraging a reimagining of inclusive sanctuary spaces for those in need.
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Sanctuary As Longstanding Legal Practice
- Sanctuary was once a long-standing legal and moral practice shielding fugitives from seizure and punishment.
- Marina Warner argues reviving its humane principles could counter modern hardening of immigration policy.
Sanctuary As Social Enchantment
- Sanctuary functions as a social enchantment that obliges communities to owe non-violence to the stranger.
- Warner frames this as a deeply humane attitude we've been violating today.
Power Of Unofficial Pilgrimage Stories
- Many pilgrimage sites and apocryphal stories sustain inclusive sanctuary narratives across faiths.
- Warner sees these unofficial stories as imaginative resources to reframe strangers more humanely.
